I'm going Bobcat..

[MoPops]

Going down to southeast Missouri tomorrow to look at a CT225. It's got the industrial tires vs the ag tires I wanted, but I hope to get by with them.
I guy down in Neelyville, Mo bought 50 of them when they quit making them. He's got two left. He had three last week when I talked with him, but he sold the one he had with the ag tires. I wasn't quick enough. I guess he will have one left after Friday.
Hopefully it's ok after sitting around for a year or two. I'll check for leaks, and run it a while to see how it sounds. But I don't know enough to know if it's ok..
Anyone think of anything in particular I should be looking out for? It's a 2012, with zero hours. Deluxe seat, adjustable arms on the PTO, cruise, tilt, (sounds like a car) probably this is all standard.
I've got a lot planned for it.. I was going to try and pull a tiller, but I've backed off on that. I found a guy that'll pay cash rent on my few acres, and plant alfalfa, so he's doing all the hard work with a bigger tractor.
Hope these work as hard as I've heard. I realize it's underpowered, but it has a lot more weight, and lift capacity than other compact tractors I've been looking at. And at $14,000 it's a lot less expensive.
Jeff

 

[murphy1244]

Good starting Tractor.

 

[Skinnyman]

I think you will find it to be a reliable hard working tractor.

 

[arnoldziffel]

I'm a Bobcat owner. From the beginning the Bobcat tractor line has provided good value. With the current closeout pricing that value has been enhanced even more.

I think the ct225 will meet your needs fine.

I don't believe the "sitting around" will have caused any problems. One of my Bobcats had been on display in a Bobcat distributor's corporate office lobby for three years before I bought it.

Please let us know how the purchase works out and share some photos when you get the machine home.

 

[MoPops]

Will do. Glad to hear positive things about it.
I'm hoping to get a lot of years out of it..
I'm used to motorcycles, where you add and add various upgrades to a bike.
I like long distance, dirt, gravel road travel.
It seems with tractors, you leave the tractor basically the same, but add, and add, a lot of different attachments. It'll be an adventure to see what this little tractor will run.
Thanks, I'm sure I'll have a million questions, I will try to google answers first.
This is my first tractor.
Jeff

 

[TripleR]

Good luck, that is a pretty good little tractor and you should be OK on power if your are not running anything off the PTO that really needs more. My brother has the Kioti CK27 and he is happy with it, he doesn't much care for the seat, but I don't know if it's the deluxe one, I've never driven it. You will know if it fits you or not.

He added a rear remote and hydraulic top link, but other than that, no changes.

 

[MoPops]

I've heard a lot about the rear remote, but I have to admit.. I don't even know what it does. It's been recommended to me several times.
Is it something I can add myself? Or, do I need special tools, and experience with hydraulic lines/connections, etc..
Thanks
Jeff

Good luck, that is a pretty good little tractor and you should be OK on power if your are not running anything off the PTO that really needs more. My brother has the Kioti CK27 and he is happy with it, he doesn't much care for the seat, but I don't know if it's the deluxe one, I've never driven it. You will know if it fits you or not.

He added a rear remote and hydraulic top link, but other than that, no changes.

 

[TripleR]

I've heard a lot about the rear remote, but I have to admit.. I don't even know what it does. It's been recommended to me several times.
Is it something I can add myself? Or, do I need special tools, and experience with hydraulic lines/connections, etc..
Thanks
Jeff

Yes, you can add them yourself if you have the mechanical ability, which I don't. Contact Brian (MtnViewRanch) at FitRite Fit Rite Hydraulics - fitritehydraulics.com

Also review the posts by J J as he is one of the hydraulics expert on here.

 

[k0ua]

As near as I can tell the CT225 is more or less the same as a Kioti CK27. of course there will be some differences, most notably will be the loader and a few electrical changes like the seat safety switch and no provision for draft control on the 3pt. I don't know if the ct225 will have the one remote or not, but if it doesn't, it can be added later. I would add it when time and funds permit, then you can always multiply remotes with the electric/hydraulic valves that Brian supply's if you need them. But having one remote will get you the Selective control valve, and the one set of outlets that can be easily multiplied. This would get you hookup for a grapple if you wanted one, and TopnTilt if you should ever want it. I have never had a use for the draft control on my Kioti, since I don't run a plow as I don't have any dirt. The CT225/CK27 should be a nice tractor with a good selection of features.

 

[ttriff]

I have the 'Top-N-Tilt' on my CT445. I like the functionality they offer. Only issue is that the levers to operate the rear remotes are placed such that I'm accidentally bumping into them with my lower leg when doing chores that require a lot of turning around in the seat. Plan when the weather warms is to fabricate a metal guard to protect the levers from accidentally contact

 

[k0ua]

MoPops. I just have the one rear remote on the back of my DK35se and right now I am using it to power the cylinder on my grapple that you see in my avatar.
But if you have at least one, you can "multiply" them with some simple electric over hydraulic valves you can buy from various sources, but one of the easiest ways is to give Brian a call and he can fix you up with as many as you need. You can see a 4 remote system here, that takes the one factory rear remote and you wind up with 4 total. Of course that could be 3 or 2 depending on how many you want/need.

Below you see the factory rear remotes with the two quick connectors plugged in and brought out to the Front End Loader ready to hook up to my grapple hoses. I hope this helps to describe rear remotes and some of the things you can do with them.

 

[DeereMann]

I don't mean to hijack the post, but why did Kioti drop Bobcat, or vice versa? I have a Bobcat dealer relatively close & would have looked at them before settling on Deere. As far as I know they didn't pick up Kioti. :confused3:

 

[k0ua]

I don't mean to hijack the post, but why did Kioti drop Bobcat, or vice versa? I have a Bobcat dealer relatively close & would have looked at them before settling on Deere. As far as I know they didn't pick up Kioti. :confused3:

It depends on who you ask, but the gist of it was Bobcat did not renew their contract with Daedong/Kioti when it came up for renewal. Apparently a lot of Bobcat dealers who were forced into taking on a compact tractor line did not really want to do so, and had no interest in serving this segment of the public, and wanted to focus on their core business of serving contractors, and public works type of customers with their original line of construction equipment.

 

[MoKelly]

It depends on who you ask, but the gist of it was Bobcat did not renew their contract with Daedong/Kioti when it came up for renewal. Apparently a lot of Bobcat dealers who were forced into taking on a compact tractor line did not really want to do so, and had no interest in serving this segment of the public, and wanted to focus on their core business of serving contractors, and public works type of customers with their original line of construction equipment.

My experience supports this explanation. My dealer in STL was OK, but over time it became pretty apparent that their real focus was on the original Bobcat equipment and customers. The dealer didn't stock much and only a few guys knew anything about the tractors.

MoKelly

 

[DeereMann]

Thanks, K0ua -

That's really too bad. I would think that contractors using Bobcat equipement for their business would be the same target market for their personal equipment too.

Well, Kioti & LS seem intent on setting up their own dealer networks, so more power to them! I guess I couldn't / wouldn't wait for them.

 

[tcartwri]

I've heard a lot about the rear remote, but I have to admit.. I don't even know what it does. It's been recommended to me several times.
Is it something I can add myself? Or, do I need special tools, and experience with hydraulic lines/connections, etc..
Thanks
Jeff

The rear remote comes as a kit from Bobcat, with instructions. I have one but have not had the time to put it on.

The one option you should ask for is the quick release bucket and bracket.

 

[pwright]

I'll echo what Tim just posted. If you have the option get it with the Bobtach equipped loader so that you can easily swap attachments on the front.

Mine came with a single rear remote but I don't know if that was standard or not.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I believe that the CT225 did not come std with any rear remotes. If the OP has the money now, now is the time to get both of the factory rear remotes. Get the 2nd rear remote with the float function. For the low cost of these particular rear remotes, it is well worth it to get them OEM. Pretty hard to match how clean of an installation the OEM units are vs an aftermarket install.

Just my :2cents:

 

[TripleR]

I don't believe MoPops is buying from a dealer as none are listed in Neelyville, I "think" someone just bought a bunch as I live in the general area and he has been running Craigslist adds on these for some time. Neelyvlle is a really small community of about 400 south of Poplar Bluff, so any options will need to come from somewhere else.

 

[MoPops]

The rear remote comes as a kit from Bobcat, with instructions. I have one but have not had the time to put it on.

The one option you should ask for is the quick release bucket and bracket.

Got the quick release, and the custom seat..
Thx